Life-saving device.



J. H. MARSTERS L P. s. MATHIAS.

vLIFE SAVINGDBVIGE.

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APPLIOATION FILED JULY 2, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1.911. I

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- 1.11. MARsTBRs 11 1". s. MATHIAS.

LIFE-SAYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1910. 1,012,679. 1 Patented 1111112631911.

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COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. cA

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`Jl-LlVlIElS H. MARSTERS AND FREDERICK S. MATHIAS, OF LOOKINGGLASS, OREGON.

'LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application led July 2, 1910. Serial No. 570,050'.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, JAMES H. MARsrERs and FREDERICK S. MATHIAs, citizens ofA the United States, and residents of Lookingglass, county of Douglas, and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a device of this class which can be launched from a vessel under all conditions and in the roughest water and propelled directly to the shore where the occupant can land` secure a line and return the device to the vessel for further use, whereby the occupants of a ship which is wrecked either on a `deserted coast or a coast without adequate means for reaching a ship, can always be safely landed. This object is accomplished by our invention, one embodiment of which is hereinafter set forth.

For a more particular description of our invention, reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved device, which is hereinafter called a rescuer. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal-section, and Fig. 5 is a plan view.

Throughout the various views of the drawings, similar reference characters designate similar parts.

Our improved rescuer 1 has a hull which is preferably cylindrical throughout the greater portion of its length and provided with a point-ed end and a hemispherical end 3,'the end 2being the front, and the end3 being the rear of the rescuer. Itis also provided with a suitable turret 4 on a trap ,door 5 which fits snug in a suitable opening and makes a water-tight connection therewith. The rescuer is also provided with a suitable lantern 6, which is affixed by a support 7, or held in any other suitable manner, and is preferably lighted by electricity, so that it will not be affected by the absence of air.

above statedthe door 5 is provided with a turret'4, which has side, front and rear windows 10 and a vent pipe 11, which is preferably bent as shown, but may be bent in any desired form, the idea being to prevent water from entering the interior of the rescuer when it is temporarily submerged by a wave. The turret 4 is preferably made sufficiently large to enable the4 neck and shoulders of the operator to be placed therein, so that his eyes will be opposite the windows 10 when the rescuer is in use.

The exterior of the rescuer at its rear end is provided with a bracket 12 on which is mounted a rudder 13, which is controlled by a rope 14 passing over suitable guides or pulleys on a frame 15 secured to the rear of the hullv asl shown. The rope or cable 14 runs through suitable stuffing boxes 16 and over suit-able guiding pulleys 17 to a windlass 18 mounted on a suitable support 19 on thebottom of the boat. The windlass 18 has a universal joint connection 20 with a rod 21, which has a steering wheel 22 on its rear end. The rod 20 may be supported by a suitable upright 23 near its rear end. From this it is apparent that the rudder 13 may be shifted to either side by turning the wheel 22 in one direction or the other, as desired. vThe frame 15 supports one end of a wire cylinder 24 which is also supported by the rear end 3 of the rescuer and in this wire frame 24 is placed a suit-able propeller 25 mounted on a shaft-26 that runs through a suitable stuffing box or bearing 27 ,in the conventional manner, and to a suitable motor 28. This motor may be a gasolene, electric or other motor, but is preferably an electric motor, current for which passes through a cable 29, which gets through the rear end 3 by means of a suitable packing box 30, and this cable 29 runs'to a suitable source of electrical supply, not shown, but preferably onpthe ship. A second cable 31 also extends from the ship and passes through a packing 32 in the rear endv 3 and terminates at or near a hook 33, and is connected with suitable telephoning apparatus, such as a receiver 34 and transmitter 35, so that the voperator can communicate with the ship at all times.

The exterior of the hull is provided with f a suitable ballast 37 placed on its bottom, and on which the flooring 38 is placed. The operator may sit either on this loor`38 or may have something p-laced thereon.

The rescuer has a number of rings 39 secured on the exterior thereof and these rings are adapted to receive a rope 40 that is secured to one of the rings on the first outward voyage and payed-out from the ship. This rope is unfastened when vthe rescuer lands and is then passed through the rings 39 until it is properly secured to something on the shore. The forward end 2 is provided with a suitable ring 4lto which is secured a rope 42 so that as the rescuer returns to the ship, the operator who has vacated the rescuer, can let the rope 42 pass through his hands as the rescuer returns to the ship and thereby be enabled to assist its return voyage. The exterior of the rescuer is also provided with projections 48, near its bottom, which will hold the same in an upright position and prevent it from rolling over.

At times the rescuer may be entirely submerged and there is danger of water entering. To prevent this a slide 44 is placed at the lower end of the vent pipe ll and is adapted to close the same and to be under the control of the operator at all times. This slide 44 can be closed throughout vthe entire voyage of the rescuer, if necessary, but it is preferably left open, whenever possible, so as to afford the best ventilation available.

The operation of our improved device is as follows: The operator places himself in the rescuer, as shown in Fig. 4, and the rescuer is then launched and steered for the shore dragging after it the rope 40. The cylinder 24 prevents any cables, ropes, wreckage, or other material from getting entangled in the propeller. The operator steers for the shore and uses the light '6, if necessary. When he reaches the shore the waves carry the rescuer up upon the beach and the anchors 36 prevent it fro-m retreating with the waves. When the rescuer is sufficiently-free from the water, the operator opens the door 5, vacates the rescuer, takes the rope 40 and unfastens it and passes it through the rings 39, if this has not already been done, and then secures this rope 40 to any suitable object, such as a stake driven Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

rescuerreturns, it will return properly and' atl the same time the rope 42 is payed-out through the hands of the operator who stands o-n the beach. When the rescuer reaches the ship,-itis taken on deck, filled as before' and launched, and this time its voyage is accelerated by the rope 42, which is pulled by the person who has been landed. The steering then becomes of secondary importance, as the rope 40 guides the rescuer.

The landing and return voyage are the samel vas before, and the operations of the rescuer are continued, as abo-ve described, until the persons on the wreck have been landed.

While we have sho-wn and described one embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that it is not restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures that come within the scope of the annexed claim.

What we claim is. s

In a vessel of the class described, a cylindrical hull with a pointed front end and hemispherical rear end, a frame on the rear end, a propeller protector secured to said frame, a propeller and means for driving the same, a rudder and a steering wheel and connections between said wheel and rudder whereby the vessel may be steered, a. turret and a door to which said turret is attached,

steer the same, a light in front of said turret and above the same so as not to obstruct the vision of the navigator of the vessel and rings on the exterior of the .hull of said vessel adapted to receive a guiding rope.

JAMES H. MARSTERS. FRED. VS. MATHIAS. Witnesses:

ALBERT ABRAHAM, GEO. O. CRANE. 

